Thanks for the comprehensive reply Atlas.
When it comes to foundations you certianly live up to your name!

I have a similar roof with turned up ends under the ridge capping.
The problem area faces the prevailing wind. The wind prevents the
water from running down and a strong gust of wind will push the
water up and over the turned up ends.
I installed some bitumenised foam lagging in front of the turned
up ends. That helps a lot. It compresses down and fills any gaps
as you screw the ridge cap back in place.
I can see that would not help your ventilation system though.
I hope your roof will be OK, just don't have the grand piano
standing underneath during the first storm!

Thanks for those handy links too.

I'm living in a typical Perth house that are so badly designed
and inefficient.
The walls are double clay fired bricks but they heat up a lot when
exposed to the sun and they absorb a lot of heat from a room in winter.
The super blocks aren't commonly used here.
I'm not even sure if you can get them.

It's miserably hot in summer unless the aircon is going all day
and it's miserably cold in winter unless the gas heaters are running
all day. It costs a lot to stay comfortable here.

We installed rock-wool insulation in the ceiling and that helps a
lot, but the windows are only single glazed. The doors and windows
are don't seal hermetically as they do in Europe so you get leakage
of heat one way or another.

I can't understand why our builders and councils continue to allow these
inefficient houses to be built when there are so many ways of making
them energy efficient. I guess old habits are hard to break!

The description of your machine room had my mouth watering!
"building cars" was a major hobby of mine in a former life.
(before 2 former Swiss wives cleaned me out!) Now I'm happy with a Thai wife - aren't they just perfect?!

BTW it was very nice to see your family album.
Thank you for sharing it with us.
Having a wonderful wife and family sure does make it all worthwhile.
.
.

unclezillion wrote:nothing after 2008 in his photobucket account, however, he does appear to have been doing other things.

I thought it was pretty much finished, I mailed him a few times about it to get the Taiwanese contractors info but apparently he told me he had gone back to Taiwan, a great build for sure, the guy knows his onions.

Yeah thanks, I went back to his Photobucket site and saw the rest of the build in excellent photos. A truly amazing house!! Shows what is possible here in Thailand. He obviously knew what he was doing, designed a terrific house, and had the money to hire a quality builder and see it through to completion. Ayn Rand would have been proud. Great job!

terp80 wrote:Yeah thanks, I went back to his Photobucket site and saw the rest of the build in excellent photos. A truly amazing house!! Shows what is possible here in Thailand. He obviously knew what he was doing, designed a terrific house, and had the money to hire a quality builder and see it through to completion. Ayn Rand would have been proud. Great job!

they look like CGI photos, not of his own home, what happened to rest of his project did he even finish it?

terp80 wrote:Yeah thanks, I went back to his Photobucket site and saw the rest of the build in excellent photos. A truly amazing house!! Shows what is possible here in Thailand. He obviously knew what he was doing, designed a terrific house, and had the money to hire a quality builder and see it through to completion. Ayn Rand would have been proud. Great job!

they look like CGI photos, not of his own home, what happened to rest of his project did he even finish it?

Just to add to my earlier post claiming how Thai wives were so perfect.Well since then I've parted with whatever money I was able to earn.It proves the sayings: "A fool and his money are soon parted"and: "There is no fool like an old fool"

The previous house I built is now off limits due to a scorned wife that has frankly become dangerous since she took out a life insurance policy on me.After 8 years of me doing the right thing she took me for granted and focused on extramarital amusements, treated me with no respect.

I decided to look elsewhere and jumped from the frying pan into the fire.I met an extremely attractive young Thai lady who had a smart plan. After spending $10,000 on sins sod (which was more than I could afford) I married her within 6 weeks of meeting. (fool)She already had a house from the previous punter. I was seconded to add the much needed extensions and to upgrade with household appliances such as washing machine, HWS, airconditioner etc.She avoided a proper Ampur wedding (only a Buddhist ceremony) and she got her falang baby which was on her wish-list too.When she found the money supply dwindling (due to my business problems in Oz) she easily found excuses to give me the flick and started looking for falang number three.

Now I'm looking for a one room apartment to rent ...In the meantime every Thai woman I meet wants a house and has no money!And it proves the other popular saying: "No money no honey"

Due to the gossip going around I'm now considered "a butterfly" and not a good man and a selfish man, but if the truth be known.I was never like that, my relationships prior to Thailand have all been long lasting. I have always been too generous for my own good.

Strange how you get judged as being "selfish" after giving away all your income to 2 Thai women over the last 10 years.

In hindsight I could have spent the money on a an expensive car (I love cars) and a nice apartment.Instead I drive a 1997 Hyundai Lantra and have lived more than 2 years in a shitty little 2 room flat in Perth.

Anyway now I've decided that it's: "in for a penny, in for a pound".Well at least until I discover a pretty lady that doesn't need what little money I have left and is willing to share her life with meas in old fashioned love, instead of what most Thai ladies consider nothing more than a business arrangement.

"You Hansum mak mak, you buy me gold? , You buy me house? I miss you!" (we just met) "I lie you .." (yes I know you will)I've discovered that Thai women are so used to telling lies that they don't know what "truth" means at all.Even after I've caught them out with written evidence, they will still not admit telling a lie. as they say "you can't win an argument with a Thai woman".

From now on the Australian old age pension will be my only source of income so I will get a monthly reminder to not give it away so easily.The lady will have to earn their keep, instead of expecting free handouts, as many do.

I'm looking forward to my new adventure in Bangkok without all the hassles of running a small business in Perth.